Clean Power Plan Hearing in Pittsburgh: Bringing you updates on the day's events

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will convene a two-day hearing in Pittsburgh on the Clean Power Plan on November 12 and 13 -- one of only four EPA hearings to be held across the country. The Clean Power Plan is the first ever limit on carbon pollution for existing power plants. 

We need you to stand up and show your support FOR the Clean Power Plan, an essential first step toward mitigating climate change and improving air quality. Since the Clean Power Plan rule was finalized in August, big polluters have actively worked to dismantle it, using frivolous lawsuits and legislative attacks. 

No doubt, big polluters will be in Pittsburgh, too, to voice their opposition to the Clean Power Plan. That’s why we need you to be there, with PennFuture and our partners, to show your support for the Clean Power Plan and its benefits to climate, health, and the economy.

Citizens from all walks of life joined for the Clean Power Plan Rally

Thursday, November 12 – 11:30 am – 12:30 pm 

Outside of the William S. Moorhead Federal Building 

1000 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

If you can't voice your support in person, you still have time to let the EPA know your thoughts. Comments on the proposed Federal Plan and Model Rules for the Clean Power Plan must be received by January 21, 2016. More information is available on EPA’s website. 

Katie Bartolotta is southeastern Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Philadelphia. She tweets @KatieBartolotta.

‘Tis the season – for public hearings

This year, PennFuture members have publicly testified on an array of issues before the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Members, staff, and advocates are countering the claims of industry polluters and communicating with policy makers. We're advocating for a strong state implementation plan to comply with the Clean Power Plan (CPP), stressing the need to address harmful methane pollution from oil and gas drilling, and developing the commonwealth’s state forest management plan.

The common denominator among each of these hearings is that your voice matters to environmental decision makers. 

Knowing this to be true, we encourage you to get involved with a hearing on the Clean Power Plan that is quickly approaching. The EPA is seeking comments on the federal implementation plan (FIP), the one-size-fits-all alternative to an individual state implementation plan (SIP). The FIP ensures that all states are brought into compliance and reduce carbon under the Clean Power Plan even if they choose not to take action. It's the ultimate backstop and disincentive for states that have no intention of submitting their own plan. 

While it's encouraging that the EPA is serious about achieving compliance even if states don't want to cooperate, it's essential to emphasize that Pennsylvania’s best option is to pursue a strong state implementation plan. 

Pennsylvania is well positioned to draft its own aggressive, flexible state implementation plan that puts the commonwealth on track for a zero-carbon energy future. While the FIP can mirror some of the positive elements of a strong state plan – a mass-based, trade-ready structure and clean energy incentives, for example – we should be extremely cautious to choose rigidity over flexibility. 

If you’re interested in giving testimony at this hearing or attending the kick-off rally preceding the first day of the hearing – let us know! We can help coordinate transportation, provide information, give feedback on testimony, and answer any questions you may have about the Clean Power Plan. 

Update: Clean Power Plan Rally

Thursday, November 12 – 11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Outside of the William S. Moorhead Federal Building

1000 Liberty Ave

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

REGISTER

Federal Implementation Plan Hearing Details

Thursday, November 12

9:00 am – 8:00 pm

William S. Moorhead Federal Building, Room 1310

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Friday, November 13

9:00 am – 5:00 pm

William S. Moorhead Federal Building, Room 1310

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

To register for either date – sign up online, via phone at (919) 541–0832, or email to Virginia Hunt at hunt.virginia@epa.gov.

Comments on the proposed Federal Plan and Model Rules for the Clean Power Plan must be received by January 21, 2016. More information is available on EPA’s website. 

Katie Bartolotta is southeastern Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Philadelphia. She tweets @KatieBartolotta.

Key takeaways from Southeastern Pennsylvania DEP Clean Power Plan listening sessions

Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) hosted two listening sessions as part of their 14 stop tour to gather public input from citizens throughout the commonwealth on the Clean Power Plan. The first listening session of the day was held in Philadelphia, the second in Marcus Hook. 

As we've written before, the Clean Power Plan (CPP) is a federal standard that provides states the flexibility to develop their own carbon reduction strategy. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposal sets an overall reduction of 33.3 percent for Pennsylvania, but does not mandate how Pennsylvania must reach its goal. The DEP is using the public listening sessions to inform how they craft Pennsylvania's state climate plan. 

Policy Director, Matt Stepp, giving testimony at the Philadelphia hearing.
More photos may be found on PF's Facebook page.

There were some key takeaways from the two sessions that are worth highlighting:

• Speakers at both sessions overwhelmingly supported the CPP.
• While news coverage of sessions like these tend to highlight speakers on both sides of the argument, its important to note that the number of supportive speakers far outweighed those against the CPP. Of the approximately 60 speakers at both sessions, only 5 testifiers did not fully support the CPP. What's more, the opposing testimonies came from only three different speakers, as two of them gave repeat performances. The makeup of the listening sessions was indicative of what we've already learned from earlier polling: Pennsylvania voters overwhelming support the CPP. 
• Supporters of the CPP represent diverse interests and backgrounds. 
• Speakers who spoke in favor of the CPP represented many different perspectives - business, faith, environment, public health, parents and grandparents, and youth. A common thread unifying supportive speakers was each person's interest in creating a sustainable environmental and economic future for the commonwealth.
• Pennsylvanians are ready for a transition to a zero-carbon energy future. 
• Many speakers urged the DEP to think of Pennsylvania's 33.3 percent carbon reduction goal as a floor, rather than a ceiling. Speakers urged the DEP not to rely heavily on natural gas as we transition away from carbon pollution-producing energy sources. Instead, the state must strive toward additional investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy. Bolstering Act 129 and increasing our goals under Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS) were oft-cited measures that the General Assembly should take in order to facilitate the commonwealth's transition to a clean energy economy under the CPP. 

For those who could not make it to these Southeastern PA listening sessions, you have the option of speaking at any of the remaining 7 listening sessions or you may submit written comments by November 12. 

Katie Bartolotta is southeastern Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Philadelphia. She tweets @KatieBartolotta.

This summer, be a climate activist

Summer is a great time to recharge, relax, and forget about the daunting issues of our time, right? Not so if you’re a climate activist. This has been a busy summer for climate-related activity such as the G7’s commitment to phase out fossil fuels by the end of the century, the Environmental Protection Agency’s release of the first-ever standard on carbon pollution in the U.S., among many other local events that have brought together diverse voices calling for action to combat climate change. 

If you’re interested in contributing your voice as well, PennFuture and its partners are hosting two great events next week. 

Harrisburg: Interfaith Climate Advocacy Training 
PennFuture is joining our friends at Pennsylvania Interfaith Power and Light (PA IPL) in Harrisburg to train people of all faiths to speak with moral authority about climate change and its impact on Pennsylvania.

Image via Flikr user, Nicholas A. Tonelli

Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2015 
Time: 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM 
Location:
Unitarian Church of Harrisburg
1280 Clover Lane
Harrisburg, PA 17113 

Registration (Tickets $30): http://bit.ly/1TTWINd 


Pittsburgh: Clean Energy Solutions Forum 
PennFuture is joining our friends at Mom's Clean Air Force, PennEnvironment, representatives from local clean-energy companies, and other environmental experts for a forum to discuss how America's Clean Power Plan can re-power the local economy while reducing carbon pollution from power plants.

Image via Flickr user Jeff Kubina

Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2015 
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM 
Location:
Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building
710 Washington Rd
Pittsburgh, PA 15228 

Registration (Free): 
http://bit.ly/1JiUsUD



Katie Bartolotta is southeastern Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Philadelphia. She tweets @KatieBartolotta.  

More good news from President Obama on climate

As we've been reporting, President Obama took a big step forward toward shrinking our national carbon footprint in November when he committed to China that we will cut our global warming pollution by up to 28 percent (compared to 2005) by 2025.

And now, on March 31, more good news from the White House:  The Administration made the November agreement more formal by submitting the terms to the United Nations. Major emitting countries were required to formally submit their plans in March, indicating how they intend to meet reductions that we hope will be formally negotiated and agreed upon in Paris in December at the next international climate conference.

Again, we urge Congress to act and put a price on carbon pollution—we know that's the best solution. But until that happy day occurs, we continue to praise President Obama for taking strong executive actions, showing the world that the White House means business, even as Congress fiddles.

Read what Politico had to say about the announcement.

Joy Bergey is PennFuture's federal policy director, based in Philadelphia. She tweets @joybergey.

A robust effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Pennsylvania

Recognizing the opportunities that a new governor in Pennsylvania can embark upon, PennFuture staff analyzed and evaluated potential environmental, conservation and energy policy actions that Gov. Tom Wolf can take or initiate, most within the first 100 days of his administration. We've called it A Fresh Start for Pennsylvania: 26 steps that Governor Wolf can take to improve Pennsylvania's environment and economy.

The 26 policy recommendations variously address stormwater management, well constructions standards, and green building standards, among other issues. This post is a synopsis of our recommendation to reduce carbon pollution.

Make robust efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Recommendation

Governor Wolf should make climate change a priority for not only the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), but for the entire administration. This vital work needs to be bolstered and elevated in profile. The Wolf administration should immediately commence its climate planning and greenhouse gas reduction efforts in conjunction with the forthcoming requirements of the Pennsylvania Climate Change Act and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan.

A robust state climate policy will make our economy more energy efficient, saving our citizens money. Reducing carbon pollution also reduces smog, ozone, and other traditional air pollutants.

Recent modeling from our grid operator PJM has shown that a multi-state approach to reducing carbon pollution can be as much as 30 percent less expensive than a state specific plan. For this reason, the administration should investigate joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) or a similar organization. This would not only simplify compliance with federal requirements, it would also bring money into the state that could support additional programs to reduce carbon pollution.

Because increases in energy efficiency will return money directly to consumers while lowering carbon pollution, Pennsylvania should focus on achievable efficiency measures. This could include building on the success of existing efficiency programs such as Pennsylvania’s Act 129, bringing our building codes up to current standards and promoting energy efficiency financing programs such as Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC), Keystone HELP, Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), and on-bill finance programs.

In addition to efficiency, Pennsylvania could do more to encourage renewable energy. While Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS) program made the state an early leader, nearby states have since set higher targets for clean and renewable energy. By renewing its leadership in this field, Pennsylvania would create more jobs, lower energy prices, and reduce not just carbon pollution but protect public health by reducing air toxics, water pollution, and waste.

Joy Bergey is PennFuture's federal policy director. She is based in Philadelphia and tweets @joybergey.

Poll: Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly want action on climate

Great news about our fellow Pennsylvanians: According to a poll released last week by Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), residents of the Commonwealth are downright bullish on having state government, led by Gov. Tom Wolf, take strong action to limit carbon pollution from power plants.

Some surprising highlights of the poll, according to NRDC:

• 82 percent of Pennsylvanians endorse a state-crafted plan to curb carbon pollution -- as we'll need to in the near future, in response to the Obama Administration's Clean Power Plan Rule. This includes strong majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.
• Even stronger numbers: 93 percent of Pennsylvanians support the expansion of utility programs to increase energy efficiency in homes, thus saving homeowners money.
• Better yet: 97 percent of Pennsylvanians see the tremendous promise of energy efficiency. More than 80 percent of us want to boost the state's use of renewable power, including solar and wind.
• And toss that stale old chestnut about "jobs versus the environment" out onto the compost heap, please: More than 60 percent of Pennsylvanians say using more energy from true renewables will create jobs.

Dig into the polling results yourself. Then you'll be more than ready the next time someone tries to tell you we're not ready to act on climate change.

Pennsylvanians are leading the call to a clean energy economy.

Joy Bergey is PennFuture's federal policy director and is based in Philadelphia. She tweets at @joybergey.

Eight million strong are demanding action on climate change

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially closed the public comment period on December 1 on their proposed standard to limit carbon pollution from existing (think "dirty old") power plants. This follows closely on the heels of another proposed standard from EPA that would limit carbon pollution from not-yet-built power plants.

It's great news that more than 8,000,000 Americans weighed in officially in support of these two proposed standards. There are so many reasons to support EPA on this: Concern about our children's future and everyone's health; worries about the economic devastation caused by ever-increasing extreme weather events; threats to national security; fear for wild animals and wild places; and more.

PennFuture's senior energy analyst, Rob Altenburg, an expert in federal and state legislation, did a great job explaining the human side of regulations in an interview he gave to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette earlier this week.

Our staff gathered on December 1 alongside dozens of volunteers at EPA's Region III headquarters in Philadelphia to thank the agency for its great work, specifically on the proposed carbon pollution limits. Susan Saxe, a volunteer with the Philadelphia chapter of Pa. Interfaith Power and Light, baked an apple pie as a thank-you to EPA staff, because...protecting the environment is as American as apple pie!

"Kudos and Cookies" (led by Susan Saxe) baked a pie for the EPA.

Joy Bergey is federal policy director for PennFuture and is based in Philadelphia. She tweets @joybergey.

Great climate news: U.S. and China agree on serious carbon reductions

It's wonderful to read about the just-announced international agreement between the U.S and China to reduce CO2 emissions, especially in light of Congress' refusal so far to act on climate change.

These two nations are the 800-pound gorillas when it comes to carbon pollution, so without each of them acting, we're up the creek, as they say.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had a terrific opinion piece in the New York Times outlining the deal. Here's what he wrote about target for U.S. reductions:

"The United States intends to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025 – a target that is both ambitious and feasible. It roughly doubles the pace of carbon reductions in the period from 2020 to 2025 as compared to the period from 2005 to 2020. It puts us on a path to transform our economy, with emissions reductions on the order of 80 percent by 2050."

The political importance of this agreement is that it undercuts one of the big arguments that climate deniers have been using for years to fight against climate action: Why should the U.S. take action unilaterally? (My response has always been that if we think of ourselves as the world's leader, then we should accordingly and take the lead, even if unilaterally.)

Secretary Kerry eloquently removes that argument from the table with this announcement:

"We need to solve this problem together because neither one of us can solve it alone. Even if the United States somehow eliminated all of our domestic greenhouse gas emissions, it still wouldn’t be enough to counteract the carbon pollution coming from China and the rest of the world. Likewise, even if China went down to zero emissions, it wouldn’t make enough of a difference if the United States and the rest of the world didn’t change direction." 

Details on the agreement are still emerging. Read more in the White House's fact sheet.

Thank you, Secretary Kerry.  You've made my day.

Joy Bergey is PennFuture's federal policy director. She's based in Philadelphia and tweets at @joybergey.

Birds fly into the latter half of the 21st century on a wing and a prayer

“The greatest threat our birds face today is global warming."

-  Dr. Gary Langham, chief scientist, National Audubon Society

A new report by the National Audubon Society shows the potential effects of global warming on birds by the year 2080. Rising global temperatures will alter the traditional habitable ranges of a critical mass of bird species throughout North America, either shrinking them outright or forcing species into new territory where they would have to adapt to different temperatures and precipitation rates.

More than half of the 588 North American bird species in the report were considered climate endangered (projected to lose more than half of their current range by 2050) or climate threatened (projected to lose more than half of their current range by 2080).

To get a sense of the magnitude of the proglem, look no further than this statistic provided in a statement by Dr. Gary Langham, the report's lead author and the National Audubon Society's chief scientist:

“Since 1600, only about nine bird species have gone extinct in continental North America, but we’re looking at half of North American bird species at risk by the end of this century.” 

Some other worrisome news:

- The bald eagle could lose up to 75 percent of its traditional range by the year 2080.

- In Pennsylvania, our official state bird – the ruffed grouse – faces extinction if we do not change the course on climate change. 

The potential effects of climate change on bird populations are worrisome, but it’s not too late to act. The National Audubon Society suggests that policy makers adopt a comprehensive strategy: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving efforts to adapt to climate change, and preserving key bird habitats and incorporating climate change into conservation planning. 

You can show policymakers that preserving bird species is not a partisan issue by supporting one step in the proscribed solution – support the EPA’s proposed standards to limit carbon pollution from existing power plants. 

Katie Bartolotta is PennFuture's Philadelphia outreach coordinator and is based in Philadelphia. 

Sept 25: Tell the Corbett administration your views on carbon pollution from power plants

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced a listening session to hear what the public thinks of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed standard to limit carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants:

         Thursday, Sept. 25, starting at 9:00 a.m.
         333 Market Street
         Harrisburg, PA

Anyone can speak; you need to register by Monday, Sept. 22. To do so, contact:
         Tammey Adams
         taadams@pa.gov
         717-772-2725

We're sorry to report that the DEP, under the Corbett administration, has been much more negative than we would have wanted in response to the EPA's proposal to limit CO2 from dirty, old, coal-fired power plants, the source of 40 percent of this nation's carbon pollution. This specific proposal is part of President Obama's Clean Power Plan, which PennFuture supports.

You don't need to be an expert on energy or climate change to testify. You simply need to be a citizen concerned about the future we're leaving our kids.

PennFuture will post talking points available for use at the DEP listening session next week -- stay tuned.

Register soon! And please let me know if you've registered so we can connect in Harrisburg on Sept. 25.

Speak out now -- it matters. Really.

Joy Bergey is PennFuture's federal policy director. She's based in Philadelphia, but will be in Harrisburg on September 25. Look for her there.

June brought more than the summer solstice this year

It's not surprising, given the overwhelming evidence of a changing climate, but Think Progress's Joe Romm reports more warming news from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). So, if you thought last month was hot, you're right: Overall, June 2014 was the hottest June since records were kept starting in 1880. Just for context on how far back we're going, James Garfield was elected president that year and Thomas Edison first patented the electric incandescent light. (Okay, and we know science has built upon that to provide even better alternatives today in CFLs and LEDs).

This June, the oceans also recorded above-average temperatures, as did parts of Greenland, which has significant impacts for the ice sheet. If you have to confront any climate change naysayers, the map included of the worldwide temperatures for the month shows a serious tale.

But now, for a roundup of some good news: Environment 360 at Yale University notes that India just doubled its tax on domestic and imported coal, with the goal of funding more clean energy projects. And some of the U.S. mainstream media is covering climate change much more in the first half of 2014.

Finally, support for EPA's proposed carbon pollution limits on coal-fired power plants is rolling in as we get ready for the Pittsburgh public hearings on the recently-proposed standard on July 31 and Aug 1. Be sure to read the upcoming posts by my colleague, Joy Bergey, for the lowdown post-hearing.

Kate Gibbons is northeastern Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Wilkes-Barre.

One citizen's motivation to testify at the upcoming EPA hearing on the Clean Power Plan

PennFuture has a terrific set of volunteers. Tom Mullaney, who lives in my neck of the woods (just outside of Philadelphia), has been helping us out for about six months now and he's a delight to work with. Tom is so committed to the effort to slow climate change that he's making the round trip to Pittsburgh on July 31 so that he can testify in person at the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) hearing on its long-overdue proposal to limit carbon pollution from dirty power plants. Tom shared his testimony with me earlier this week, and it really touched me. He has kindly agreed to share his testimony here. Thanks, Tom!

My name is Tom Mullaney and I am a resident of Glenside, Pennsylvania. I am a high school history teacher.

I am fully supportive of the EPA's proposed standard. It should be implemented promptly and without being weakened in any way.

As a history teacher, I hope that as I approach retirement in the early 2040s, I will teach my students about a time when Americans were concerned about carbon emissions in the atmosphere. I want to explain to my students that the problem is considered history and not a crisis in their lives because, in 2014, our government took action resulting in reduced carbon in the atmosphere and increased willingness of other countries to follow this example.

I am looking forward to my lesson on how the United States got carbon emissions under control. As a history teacher, I look back as well. To understand why we are here today, we need to know the EPA has the authority, granted by a bipartisan vote of Congress, signed into law by a Republican president, and confirmed by Supreme Court decision written by conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, to set standards for industrial carbon pollution from power plants.

Setting reasonable carbon pollution standards for power plants will cut the primary driver of climate change. Carbon dioxide traps heat. That is a scientific fact. Since the dawn of the industrial age, we have increased carbon emissions, something that has been irrefutably measured and documented. In that time, temperatures have consistently risen, so much so that, globally, we’ve now had 351 consecutive months above the long-term average. That means a 29-year-old has never lived through a “cooler than normal” month. This fuels extreme weather such as Superstorm Sandy, which closed my school for three days in October 2012.

When southeastern Pennsylvania students miss three days of school because of inclement weather in October, the problem is not theoretical. It is real and already impacting our daily lives.

Please take action by implementing the proposed standard. I want my students in the 2040s to know about this problem because I teach it to them, not because they experience it. Thank you.

Joy Bergey is PennFuture's federal policy director and is based in Philadelphia. You'll find her in Pittsburgh on July 31 and August 1 for the EPA hearings.

Everyone -- including you -- has a stake in EPA's proposal to limit industrial carbon pollution

We're excited. Momentum is building for a strong showing in Pittsburgh on July 31 and Aug 1.

Why? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding public hearings on those days to accept comments on its proposed standard to limit CO2 from dirty, old power plants. Finally!

I personally -- and strongly -- encourage everyone to testify: individuals, representatives of organizations, health care professionals, business leaders. Everyone.

This is because I suggest that everyone is an environmentalist (calm down, Rush, and do hear me out):

• The adult daughter, sitting in the ER with her aging mother all night, hoping Mom will survive this latest asthma attack, exacerbated by our dirty air.
• The grandfather, concerned about how his grandchildren will cope with a world that will be changed by ever more severe weather. 
• The families of the 47 people killed one year ago by the explosion of the runaway oil train in Quebec.
• The lifelong fisherman, concerned about the health of the fish in the Susquehanna River. 

Do you share any of these concerns? Then tell the EPA what you think.

Do you pay for any part of your own health insurance, or even the occasional doctor's bill? Then you should care about unchecked carbon pollution from power plants, since the health costs associated with this pollution ultimately falls on all our shoulders.  Tell the EPA what you think.

Are you concerned by the financial and safety threats of more superstorms like Hurricane Sandy? You got it: Tell the EPA what you think.

You don't have to be an expert to testify, simply a concerned citizen.

Click here for information to help you write your testimony.

If you can't make it to Pittsburgh, email me at bergey at pennfuture dot org and I'll read your testimony into the record. 

It matters. Because you matter. Now is the time to speak out.

Tell the EPA what you think.

Joy Bergey is PennFuture's federal policy director and is based in Philadelphia; she tweets @joybergey. She'll be in Pittsburgh on July 31 and August 1, telling the EPA what she thinks.

Talking points for testifying at upcoming EPA public hearing on climate change

You've likely heard that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing, at long last, to limit industrial carbon pollution from dirty, power plants. The agency's Clean Power Plan is great news for Pennsylvania (and the rest of the world). It can only mean cleaner air, a more stable climate, and better health for all of us in the future.

Consider yourself hereby invited to testify at the EPA hearing in Pittsburgh on Thursday, July 31, and Friday, August 1. Anyone and everyone should consider testifying. You can represent yourself, an organization, your faith community, or your family.

What would you say in your testimony? Start by introducing yourself and where you live. State the name of the organization you represent and what they do, if you're speaking on their behalf.

State that you are fully supportive of the EPA's proposed standard, and that you want it to be implemented promptly and without being weakened in any way.

Continue by offering a sentence or two about why you care about action on climate change. For example, "My cousins lost their home on the Jersey shore to Hurricane Sandy, and unchecked climate change will only bring us more and more superstorms."  Or perhaps, "My children (or grandchildren) deserve as safe and stable a future as we can possible leave them, and climate change works against that." You get the idea.

Then it would be helpful to list some facts and figures about climate change. See below for a bunch of those that you can use.

Finish up by reiterating your support for the proposed standard, and thanking EPA for the opportunity to be heard.

Keep in mind that you are only allotted five minutes. so you will want to speak to the issues that resonate with you the most. (300 to 600 words total would be great.)

Bring two copies of your testimony (typed or handwritten) to leave with the EPA. And be sure to include your name and contact info on the copies.

So, register to speak at the hearing!

Please sign up now for a speaking slot on Thursday, July 31, or Friday, August 1. EPA should respond to your request within 24 hours, assigning you a time to speak. Please email me at bergey at pennfuture dot org and let me know what time you've been assigned to speak. And if you can't get to Pittsburgh, I can arrange for someone to read your testimony.

Talking Points......Feel free to use any of these in your testimony.

• Carbon pollution causes climate change, resulting in more frequent and increasingly violent extreme weather events, drought, sea level rise and other stressors that devastate communities, threaten public health, and destroy and degrade wildlife habitat.  
• Globally, we’ve now had 351 consecutive months above the long-term average, meaning a 29-year-old has never lived through a “cooler than normal” month.
• Wildfires, floods and extreme weather events like heat waves, droughts and heavy rainfall, are becoming more frequent and more severe. These changes are happening in the evolutionary blink of an eye.  This creates real costs to our economy, negatively impacts public health and puts stress on wildlife and the natural environment.
• Pennsylvania creates more heat-trapping emissions than all but two other states -- Texas and California, each of which have much larger populations.
• Pennsylvania creates nearly one percent of the world's total heat-trapping emissions, far disproportionate to our population. 

 The Public Health Impacts

• From the American Lung Association: "Climate change and ozone scientists warn that the buildup of greenhouse gases and the climate changes caused by it will create conditions, including warmer temperatures, which will increase the risk of unhealthful ambient [ground level] ozone levels....Even with the steps that are in place to reduce ozone, evidence warns that changes in climate are likely to increase ozone levels in the future in large parts of the U.S. To protect human health, the nation needs strong measures to reduce climate change and ozone." (www.lung.org)
• From the 2014 National Climate Assessment: "Climate change, as well as increased CO2 by itself, can contribute to increased production of plant-based allergens....Higher pollen concentrations and longer pollen seasons can increase allergic sensitizations and asthma episodes and diminish productive work and school days. Simultaneous exposure to toxic air pollutants can worsen allergic responses. Even rainfall and rising temperatures can foster indoor air quality problems, including the growth of indoor fungi and molds, with increases in respiratory and asthma-related conditions."   (nca2014.globalchange.gov)
• From the 2014 National Climate Assessment: "Extreme heat events are the leading weather-related cause of death in the U.S. Many cities, including Philadelphia, have suffered dramatic spikes in death rates during heat waves....Heat waves are also associated with increased hospital admissions for cardiovascular, kidney, and respiratory disorders."   (nca2014.globalchange.gov)

•  Clean Air Task Force provides terrific information at the level of counties and power plants for every state, including Pennsylvania. Go to www.catf.us/fossil/problems/power_plants and click on Pennsylvania on the map.

The Economic Impacts

• Between 1970 and 2006, U.S. GDP grew by 195 percent, even though we had Environmental Protection Agency and Clean Air Act regulations that significantly cut carbon monoxide, smog pollution, acid rain, and toxic pollutants like lead.  
• Setting limits on the carbon pollution causing climate change will spur investment and innovation in energy efficiency and clean energy technologies. The real economic risk is inaction. From 2011-2013 alone, damages from extreme weather events have exceeded $200 billion. Imagine how much of a cleanup bill we’d be handing our children and grandchildren if we fail to act now.  
• More than 90 million Americans take part in wildlife-related recreation, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Hunting and Fishing Survey. The outdoor recreation industry contributes $730 billion annually to the U.S. economy, supporting nearly 6.5 million jobs in communities across the U.S. and generating $88 billion in annual state and national tax revenue.

Supporting Points

• The EPA is using its authority, granted by a bipartisan vote of Congress, signed by a Republican president [Nixon], and confirmed by a conservative-leaning Supreme Court [The Roberts Court], to set standards for industrial carbon pollution from power plants, which threatens public health.
• Setting reasonable carbon pollution standards for power plants will cut the primary driver of climate change, which fuels extreme weather that threatens communities and public health with increasing costs and worsening impacts.
• Climate change deniers want you to distrust the science, and ignore the impacts and costs of climate change already being felt by communities and wildlife across the country.
• Big polluters want to continue to dump unlimited amounts of carbon pollution into the air for free, instead of adopting reasonable carbon pollution safeguards that protect public health and wildlife by slowing climate change. That’s wrong.

Joy Bergey is federal policy director for PennFuture, and is based in Philadelphia. She tweets @joybergey. You can meet her in Pittsburgh on July 31 or August 1 -- she wouldn't miss it for the world.

Please, Mr. President, just say NO to Keystone XL pipeline

Completing the Keystone  XL pipeline is a bad idea for so many reasons.

If fully built, this 1,700-mile pipeline, running north-to-south down the center of the country, would carry extremely polluting petroleum from tar sands deposits in Alberta, Canada, down to the Gulf of Mexico.

We love the way Larry Schweiger, president of the National Wildlife Federation, described the pipeline: "The Canadian oil industry is sitting on top of a tar sands carbon pollution bomb and Keystone XL is the fuse needed to light it."

At the end of January, the  State Department released its final environmental impact statement. Fortunately, the report acknowledges that the tar sands pipeline dramatically increases carbon pollution, the equivalent of putting almost six million new cars on the road. This is the last thing we need.

It's not just the huge carbon footprint of a potential pipeline that we're so concerned about. It's also threats to drinking water throughout the center of the country, namely, irreparable damage that could be done to the the Ogallala aquifer by a leak in the pipeline.

Bear in mind that this would be a pipeline through America, not to America. The pipeline would be built to get tar sands oil out into the international market.

A word of caution

It would be naive to assume that a decision by the President to stop the Keystone pipeline permanently would mean that the tar sands would stay in the ground, sparing the world of all those intense heat-trapping emissions. Global energy markets are hungry for fossil fuels, even though these fuels are under-priced: The true costs of fossil fuels (such as increased public health costs due to increased incidences of asthma and other diseases, and infrastructure replacement and insurance costs from extreme weather events like Superstorm Sandy) are externalized. This means the price of fossil fuels is kept artificially low by the so-called "free market" system.

So, the proposed Keystone XL pipeline is a big mess -- figuratively right now, but we'd be inviting a literal mess, and a huge one, if we finish building the pipeline.

And what about wildlife? The State Department report says that operations of the pipeline would threaten 15 federally-protected endangered species, including whooping and sandhill cranes, bald eagles, and swift foxes.
 
It's now up to President Obama to stop the pipeline from being built. In fact, he has a much larger responsibility: He should be leading the country away from the further development of any fossil fuel resources, promoting truly clean resources (wind and solar) and energy efficiency and conservation. 
Do it, Mr. President: Just say no to the Keystone XL pipeline and a future built around fossil fuels.

Joy Bergey is federal policy director for PennFuture and is based in Philadelphia.